Shoestring knot retainer



May 30,1967 c. w. HERDMAN 3,321,815

SHOESTRING KNOT RETAINER Filed Jan. 21, 1966 FIG. .2.

INVENTOR. CH4L E6 4/. A icea/144A;

United States Patent 3,321,815 SHOESTRING KNOT RETAINER Charles W. Herdman, 35 Royal Palm Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301 Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,162 4 Claims. (Cl. 24l19) This invention relates to a shoestring knot retainer.

In Patent No. 2,674,021 there is describe-d and claimed a shoestring knot retainer which comprises a pair of receptacles, each having a continuous wall closed at one end and open at the other end, the continuous Wall of one of said receptacles having a single slot opening out of the open end and extending longitudinaly inwardly from the open end toward and spaced from its closed end,-' and releasable interengaging screw thread means between the open end portions of said receptacles for securing said receptacles together, said receptacles when releasa'bly interengaged having a portion of said slot which is incommunication with the exterior. This invention is an improvement on the shoestring knot retainer of the above-described patent, such improvement consisting in providing an obstructing means on the single slot. A further feature of the improvement resides in flaring the slot adjacent the open end of the receptacle containing the slot.

Accordingly,-an object of the present invention is to provide a shoestring knot retainer wherein the single slot opening out of the open end of one of the receptacles is provide-d with obstructing means which is so constructed and arranged as to permit the insertion into and the withdrawal from the slot of the part of the shoestring protruding from the knot, when the open end of said one receptacle is not closed by the other receptacle, and to center and retain the inserted parts within the visible portion of the slot when the open end of said one receptacle is closed by the other receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoestringknot retainer wherein the single slot opening out of the open end of one of the receptacles is provided with obstructing means which forms a tortuous passage such as to permit the insertion into and the withdrawal from the slot of the parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot, when the open end of the said one receptacle is not closed by the other receptacle, and which passage is blocked, when the open end of the said one receptacle is closed 'by the other receptacle, to center and retain the inserted parts within the visible portion of the slot.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoestring knot retainer wherein the obstructing means provided on the single slot opening out of the open end of one of the receptacles is of simple construction, commercially feasible, and highly eflicient in action.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the following drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the knot retainer of the present invention in place on the knot of the shoestring worn by a small child.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal elevational view of the assembled retainer of FIGURE 1, showing the obstructing means in the single slot of one of the receptacles.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal elevational view of the assembled retainer of FIGURE 2, with the receptacle closing the open end of the slotted receptacle broken away to show the flared portion of the slot adjacent the end opening out of the open end of the slotted receptacle.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, the retainer indicated generally by the numeral 10 comprises a pair of receptacles 11 and 12, the receptacle 11 being longer than the receptacle 12.

The receptacle 11 has a cylindrical continuous sidewall 13 and an end wall 14 closing one end of the sidewall 13. The sidewall 13 is provided with a single slot 15 which opens out of its other or open end thereof, the slot extending longitudinally inwardly from the open end toward and spaced from its close-d end or end wall 14.

The receptacle 12 also :has a cylindrical continuous sidewall 16 and an end wall 17 closing one end of the sidewall 16.

At the other or open end the sidewall 13 is externallyrecessed annularly and provided with external screw threads 20. The sidewall 16 at its other or open end is annularly-recessed internally and is provided with internal screw threads 21 which engage with the threads 20 on the sidewall13 to releasably-secure the receptacles 11 and 12 together. It is to be noted that the threads 20 and 21 between the open end wall portions of the walls 13 and 16 constitute a releasable interengaging means for securing the receptacles 11 and 12 together.

By reference to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the receptacles 11 and 12, when releasably interengaged, have a visible portion of the slot 15'which is in communication with the exterior.

The thus specifically-described construction constitutes the invention as described andclaimed inthe previously noted patent.

The improvement constituting the present invention which is concerned with the retainer of the above-noted patent, consists of providing an obstructing means 30 on the slot 15, such means being so constructed and arranged as to permit the insertion into and the withdrawal from the slot 15 of the parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot when the open end of the one receptacle 11 is not closed by the other receptacle 12, and to center and retain the inserted parts within the visible portion of the slot when the open end of the one receptacle 11 is closed by the other receptacle 12. Specifically, the obstructing means 30 is so constructed as to form a tortuous passage such as topermit the insertion into and the withdrawal from the slot 15 of the parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot, when the open end of the one receptacle 11 is not closed by the other receptacle 12, and which passage is blocked, when the open end of the one receptacle 11 is closed by the other receptacle 12, to center and retain the inserted parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot Within the visible portion of the slot. The obstructing means embodies a pair of nubs 31 and 32 arranged in staggered relation along the slot 15 inwardly of and spaced from the open end of the one receptacle 11. The slot 15 is flared, as at 35, adjacent the open end of the receptacle 11, as shown in FIGURE 3, for facilitating the insertion and withdrawal of the parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot from the slot 15, when the open end of the one receptacle 11 is not closed by the other receptacle 12.

In operation, with the receptacle 12 removed from threaded engagement with the open end of the receptacle 11, the open end of the receptacle 12 is positioned so that the shoestring with a knot tied therein is in alignment with the open end of the receptacle, whereupon diverging parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot are inserted into the slot 15 and caused to pass between and out of the tortuous passage defined by the nubs 31 and 32, and into the visible portion of the slot 15. Simultaneously, with this passage of the protruding parts of the shoestring into the slot, the knot and the remaining parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot are inserted wholly into the receptacle 11 through the open end, and when-wholly inserted, the other receptacle 12 is caused to close the open end of the receptacle, to thereby house the knot and the remaining parts in the connected receptacles 11 and 12 with the protruding parts projecting through and locked in position within the visible portion of the slot 15. Detachment of the other recepta cle 12, permits the protruding parts of the shoestring to be withdrawn through the tortuous passage formed by the staggered nubs 31 and 32 and simultaneously therewith the knot and the remaining parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot to be withdrawn from the receptacle 11 through the open end thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoestring knot retainer comprising a pair of receptacles, each having a continuous wall closed at one end and open at the other end, the continuous wall of one of said receptacles having a single slot opening out of the open end and extending longitudinally inwardly from the open end toward and spaced from its closed end, and releasable interengaging screw thread means between the open end portions of said receptacles for securing said receptacles together, said receptacles when releasably interengaged having a portion of said slot which is in communication with the exterior, the improvement consisting of providing an obstructing means projecting into said slot from opposed walls of said slot, said means being so constructed and arranged as to permit the insertion into and the withdrawal from the slot of the parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot, when the open end of said one receptacle is not closed by the other receptacle, and to center and retain the parts of the shoestring inserted in the slot within the visible portion of the slot.

2. The retainer according to claim 1, wherein said obstructing means is so constructed as to form a tortuous passage such as to permit the insertion into and the withdrawal from the slot of the-parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot when the open end of aid one receptacle is not closed by the other receptacle, and which passage is blocked, when the open end of the said one receptacle is closed by the other receptacle, to center and retain the inserted parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot within the visible portion of the slot.

3. The retainer according to claim 1, wherein said obstructing means embodies a pair of nubs arranged in staggered relation along the slot inwardly of and spaced from the open end of said one receptacle.

4. The retainer according to claim 3, wherein the single slot is flared adjacent the open end of said one receptacle for facilitating the insertion and withdrawal of the parts of the shoestring protruding from the knot from the slot when the open end of said one receptacle is not closed by the other of said receptacles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 4/1954 Cataldi 24-119 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.. 

1. IN A SHOESTRING KNOT RETAINER COMPRISING A PAIR OF RECEPTACLES, EACH HAVING A CONTINUOUS WALL CLOSED AT ONE END AND OPEN AT THE OTHER ENDS, THE CONTINUOUS WALL OF ONE OF SAID RECEPTACLES HAVING A SINGLE SLOT OPENING OUT OF THE OPEN END AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALL INWARDLY FROM THE OPEN END TOWARD AND SPACED FROM ITS CLOSED ENDS, AND RELEASABLE INTERENGAGING SCREW THREAD MEANS BETWEEN THE OPEN END PORTIONS OF SAID RECEPTACLES FOR SECURING SAID RECEPTACLES TOGETHER, SAID RECEPTACLES WHEN RELEASABLY INTERENGAGED HAVING A PORTION OF SAID SLOT WHICH IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXTERIOR, THE IMPROVEMENT CONSISTING OF PROVIDING AN OBSTRUCTING MEANS PROJECTING INTO SAID SLOT FROM OPPOSED WALLS OF SAID SLOT, SAID MEANS BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO PERMIT THE INSERTION INTO AND THE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE SLOT OF THE PARTS OF THE SHOESTRING PROTRUDING FROM THE KNOT, WHEN THE OPEN END OF SAID ONE RECEPTACLE IS NOT CLOSED BY THE OTHER RECEPTACLE, AND TO CENTER AND RETAIN THE PARTS OF THE SHOESTRING INSERTED IN THE SLOT WITHIN THE VISIBLE PORTION OF THE SLOT. 